headrest uncomfortable?

'10 taco pre-runner. anyone else find the position of the headrest uncomfortable? it is just too far forward. i reversed it but it is too far to the rear. suggestions?

 

This is not a joke. Tilt your seat back, it worked for me.

 

I like it MUCH better backwards. Just raise it a little and

 

I like my seat straight up so tilting is not an option. There's 2 taco owners out here with our headrests doing a 180. Thanks for the response.

 

there are some threads about this.

i do a lot of long highway driving, the stock position was killing my neck, and lower
back, i felt totally hunched over.

switching the headrest around 180 degrees, then there is not enough head rest support if you lean your head back, its too far (plus it looks kind of strange). some people drive in more upright positions, leaning the seat back is uncomfortable.

i was able to bend the headrest back using a bench vice.

those stanchions are really strong, bending mine back just an inch or two and the comfort is now exactly where i want it. i took out the head rest, put one leg into a vice wrapped with a cloth, w the headrest sitting as far down on the jaws as possible. the other leg was outside 'free' next to the jaws, i grabbed that with my hand, then leaned into the top of the head rest with my chest pushing it backwards and while pulling toward you with the 'free leg', this will bend the leg thats in the jaws slightly. repeat for the other side, and do it in very small increments until its comfortable.

in this photo below of my interior you can see the passenger headrest (stock) and the drivers side tilted back ever so slightly.

 

You are right about reversing the headrest. Just not enough support and too forward in stock position. Never thought about bending the supports. I will do this! Great advice. Thanks.

 

The result of more government regulations. They're here to help us.

 

Any citations or sources for this or just

 

Here's something I found with a quick Google and didn't look into it any further.

From: http://ask.cars.com/2010/12/why-dont-manufacturers-allow-adjustable-headrests.html

 

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/rulings/HeadRest/PEA/Index.html

Sorry so slow to respond Mark. I have to admit, outside of work at least, I'm seldom asked to provide source information.

I don't remember the implementation schedule but, if I remember correctly it was the result of the attached study. It was phased in with product redesign on many models prior to the drop dead date.

Head rest were not this close when I was a kid...though they don't bother me today.

 

Thanks Steve, as I remember it was covered widely in automotive news over the past several years.

 

I placed the headrest stanchions in a vice and used a box end wrench slid over each stanchion in order to bend each one approximately an inch. If you try this keep the 'bend' up towards the headrest so that the stanchions will slide into the seat. Now when I sit in the seat my head is straight up while still making contact with the headrest instead of being forced forward and down. Thanks for the input! PS. Our Gub-mint has gotten a lot larger and much more invasive than it was designed to be.

 

:thumbs up: i just have to be skeptical when someone chalks a problem up to the gov't without any sources.
And I'll take a second to remind everyone that no matter what you think about the government… TW is not the place to share it.

 

Damn, did I say the "g" word and not in reference to a specific spot?

You are correct sir! I will move my frustrated freedom loving ass to the back of the line and work to keep it in check.

 

+1 ^ eloquently said.

Less eloquently, i will say:
it shouldn't take a link or source to realize, or express, how badly things can get messed up by being over regulated. It does effect our lives and as it relates to this forum, our vehicles, almost every aspect of them. I'm not on one side or the other of the fence, but i do agree with Joe and feel like the moderator in this case sort of derailed the thread with those remarks. no disrespect.

why do headrest threads always turn into this?

 

Just found this thread and to get things back on topic I totally agree, the headrests are uncomfortably too far forward. I had already tried tilting my seat back and that didn't help much. I may have to find a vice to bend the legs. Also, I stowed my rear seat head rests to increase visibility out the back window, but I'm wondering if they have a more upright posture and could be switched with the fronts?
BTW, our 2014 Subaru has adjustable tilt headrests.

 

Does that leave too much gap between your head and the headrest, which could then lead to whiplash if rear-ended?

 

Buy some neck pillows like these

https://www.amazon.com/Shipping-Toy...id=1468546192&sr=8-1&keywords=Trd+neck+pillow

 

We call them head rests, but they are really head restraints and designed for occupant protection in rear collision. In short, the closer they are to the back of the head in a crash the better they help avoid or reduce neck injuries. That's why they are not very comfortable. So if you bend them back you are basically reducing safety to gain comfort - personal choice, hard to weigh being uncomfortable all the time against better neck protection when being rear ended, which may or may not happen.

And on your Subaru - I think they have active head restraints, meaning they actually move forward during a rear crash. I am not sure, but I think that's the reason why Subaru can keep them adjustable.